slow usps causing refunds

[pattipouri]

Ebay needs to add time to the shipment of goods.  Instead they are refunding payments to the buyers  before the item is received through no fault of the seller.  Sellers should not be monetarily penalized due to a poor postal system.  The problem is not just the initial loss of funds to the seller.  Many of these buyers would be repeat buyers, then there is the negative feedback to add insult to injury.  Ebay is penalizing sellers for the poor management of the USPS.  This is wrong and we should get more respect than that.

[wastingtime101]

You can improve delivery speeds by switching from Media Mail to First Class or Priority. Magazines don't even qualify for MM and MM is subject to random inspections, so every shipment is a risk that your item will arrive at the buyer's post office postage due - and that would really tick off would-be repeat buyers.

[shanghai-smith]

I too have had the same problem. I shipped 14 packages on June 1, Today June 5th, I have had 3 messages about late delivery. I don't recall having a late delivery in 4 years. Now 3 in 1 day.  I also have an item that shipped on the 1st and tracking shows label created and carrier awaiting item. I had shipped the item but no scan from the post office, today the 5th, the tracking updated to arrival at destination facility.  The USPS is being destroyed by the current upper level management and it is being done on purpose.  You are right eBay needs to add some time to the deliveries until the vandals are ejected from the USPS

[lovecraft68]

Yes, this is a bad situation. On one hand I do see the buyers point. They pay for something, get a tracking number but two weeks go by and there's no movement on the tracking number.

But for the most part it stinks for the seller, if we refund them we're out the sale and the merchandise which will either never be found or perhaps delivered to a buyer who is not ethical and won't pay you. Not sure how e-bay would handle that, knowing them shaft the seller and side with the buyer who just got free stuff. 

[lovecraft68]

Good point, but then price becomes a factor. FC is not much more than media for a single comic or magazine, but if you get into anything that's not fitting in an envelope and under a pound price goes up and priority is pricey especially if the item itself is only a couple dollars.

Buyers risk the media option as well. If they're experienced they know its cheaper, but much slower, tracking can be unreliable and as you said inspections every now and then. 

[stuff4divas]

In the meantime, message your buyers ahead of time letting them know when you are delivering the pkg to the post office and that there is a possibility of the pkg arriving late due to weather related incidents, fires, USPS facility shut downs, etc. 

This way they know the delay is not on the seller and it may give them more tolerance toward a late delivery.

Also, buyers like when tracking numbers are uploaded onto their purchased item. Let them know you did that so they don't think you have anything to hide.

If buyers open item not rec'd cases, once you upload tracking onto the case and ebay can 'see' there is movement, they will wait to see if there is continued movement on the package b4 issuing a refund, usually 5-10 business days after the last tracking date, depending on how long the package has been in transit and some other circumstances, like if you delivered the package on time to the post office.

[donsdetour]

You get the same respect as when the USPS loses or damages or a package is stolen.

NONE. YOU as the seller are responsible to get the item to the customer. You are responsible for the shipper and their problems not eBay: In the worst times they did help a bit: but were not required to do so.

If the tracking shows movement you can some times contact eBay and they may stall.

Since you are using a method that is the SLOWEST one available, this may also be a part of the problem; Others have given good advice on that part.

 I would normally advise if you do refund to try an intercept which cost money:

Note:::  for low end items the cost may be more than it is worth.

[wastingtime101]

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@lovecraft68 wrote:

Good point, but then price becomes a factor. FC is not much more than media for a single comic or magazine, but if you get into anything that's not fitting in an envelope and under a pound price goes up and priority is pricey especially if the item itself is only a couple dollars.

Buyers risk the media option as well. If they're experienced they know its cheaper, but much slower, tracking can be unreliable and as you said inspections every now and then. 

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Buyers have the MBG so they're not the ones at risk. It's all on the seller. Shipping cost is a big factor with stuff I sell, too, but that doesn't mean I cheat and use ineligible shipping methods.

The way I see it, all those sellers using Media Mail are not only cheating the USPS and ruining things for other sellers, they're also cheating by using a USPS-illegal shipping method to give themselves an unfair pricing advantage over sellers that are honest and don't toss a finger up at the rules.

[salebolt]

eBay is also over-promising on delivery, promoting listings as Media Mail shipment guaranteed 4 day delivery.  The USPS doesn't even commit to that.

[2013grotz]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

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The way I see it, all those sellers using Media Mail are not only cheating the USPS and ruining things for other sellers, they're also cheating by using a USPS-illegal shipping method to give themselves an unfair pricing advantage over sellers that are honest and don't toss a finger up at the rules.

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True in a way, but hard to use other methods when you do sell Media Mail legitimate stuff for the cost.  It gets rough when your stuff shows up $2 or $3 more expensive because you won't use Media Mail.  Luckily I haven't had any problems with it, but I'd have a lot worse troubles for what I sell using FC or Priority.

[salebolt]

We are seeing USPS mark MM packages delivered, hold them, and deliver them later.    We also see several packages enter DCs and never move from there.   This has all the earmarks of a slow-walk labor protest.  

We've entered missing mail traces for each of them and they are just closing out the Media Mail traces as delivered without doing any apparent additional work, but delivering them later.   We're also seeing more inbound MM being opened in transit, presumably for inspection (but maybe just to watch the movies).

We've converted everything over to First Class for now.   It wouldn't surprise me if Media Mail were eliminated.   There has been talk of that in recent years, also to rolling all interstate shipments into a single package service. 

eBay's delivery promises and refund policies are definitely not aligned with reality here.

[wastingtime101]

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@2013grotz wrote:

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

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The way I see it, all those sellers using Media Mail are not only cheating the USPS and ruining things for other sellers, they're also cheating by using a USPS-illegal shipping method to give themselves an unfair pricing advantage over sellers that are honest and don't toss a finger up at the rules.

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True in a way, but hard to use other methods when you do sell Media Mail legitimate stuff for the cost.  It gets rough when your stuff shows up $2 or $3 more expensive because you won't use Media Mail.  Luckily I haven't had any problems with it, but I'd have a lot worse troubles for what I sell using FC or Priority.

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Don't get me wrong. I use MM when appropriate, too. I was talking about only those who use MM on ineligible items. Comics, magazines, video games, boom boxes ... catch my drift?

[toooldtorock]

"The USPS is being destroyed by the current upper level management"

I can't speak about your area of the country but here the problem is Covid sick leave

policies which were pretty generous.

We also had a mass retirement 2 years ago where half of the regulars left and their

replacements haven't been working out well with many finding out they don't like

to work at all.  2 or 3 weeks on the job and they leave. The remaining staff gets worked

to death and even the ones that once loved overtime are now sick of the overtime.

This has been going on for 2 years and Covid made it worse. Dependable and routine

service from the post office is a faded memory.

I had ordered a small item from a company in Texas early last week and all the tracking

shows since that time is "label created". I'll give them a nudge a day past expected delivery

time just in case they may accidently overlooked mailing it.